A FIRST FOR SPACE TRAVEL

Once it has completed its ISS mission, it is hoped that the rocket will safely land on a platform in the Atlantic, just of off the coast of Florida.

If it is intact, it can be used for future missions and save on the costs associated with building a new rocket. This could be a turning point for the cost of space exploration in the future, for governments and private companies alike.

“If one can figure out how to effectively reuse rockets just like aeroplanes, the cost of access to space will be reduced by as much as a factor of a hundred,” Musk said on SpaceX’s website.

However, it has always been made clear that the mission would be difficult – it is the first time a rocket return to Earth has ever been attempted, and Musk put the chances of a successful landing at just 50 per cent.